CONTACT: Mark Harrington
+1 212 253 7922
mark.harrington@treatmentactiongroup.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, December 5, 2025 – Today RFK Jr’s vaccine denialist-dominated Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to no longer recommend immediate post-partum / birth vaccination of babies with hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine.  This significant and damning move is part of the cynical anti-vaxxer movement led by HHS Secretary and notorious vaccine denialist RFK, Jr., which will be damaging to the health of millions in both the short and long term. We at TAG know that the infant vaccine against HBV is key to ensure that babies are protected from the devastating effects of HBV infection directly as well as hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer), of which HBV infection is the leading cause. TAG Executive Director Mark Harrington said, “TAG condemns this move, urges the CDC not to adopt these scientifically unjustified changes. TAG demands that Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who obtained a promise at  Secretary Kennedy’s confirmation hearings that RFK, Jr., would not substantially degrade U.S. vaccine policies, to hold oversight hearings and to demand the immediate resignation of Kennedy and all his appointees who are promoting an anti-science, anti-vaccine, and anti-public health agenda dangerous to millions of Americans and others around the world.”

“During 1990-2019, universal infant and childhood vaccination for hepatitis B resulted in a 99% decline in reported cases of acute hepatitis B among children, adolescents, and young adults aged <19 years in the United States.” [Bixier D, et al. Progress and Unfinished Business: Hepatitis B in the United States,1980-2019. Public Health Reports 2023, 1–11. DOI: 10.1177/00333549231175548].

“Today, researchers, in partnership with HepVu, the Hepatitis B Foundation, and the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, released new data highlighting the significant, measurable health and economic consequences of delaying the infant hepatitis B (HepB) birth dose vaccine in the United States. The findings—based on a model of 2024 U.S. births—show that even short delays in vaccination lead to substantially more infections, severe long-term health complications, and sharply increased healthcare spending. By delaying the birth dose to 2 months among infants whose mothers are not known to be living with hepatitis B, there could be at least 1,400 preventable hepatitis B infections among children, 300 excess cases of liver cancer, 480 preventable deaths and over $222 million in excess healthcare costs, for each year the revised recommendation is in place. If the birth dose was delayed to 12 years, this would balloon to at least 2,700 preventable hepatitis B infections and $313 million in excess healthcare costs for each year the revised recommendation is in place.” [New Analysis Shows Delaying the Hepatitis B Birth Dose May Lead to Thousands of Preventable Infections and Hundreds of Millions in Avoidable Healthcare Costs. 1 December 2025. https://hepvu.org/news-updates/new-analysis-shows-delaying-the-hepatitis-b-birth-dose-may-lead-to-thousands-of-preventable-infections-and-hundreds-of-millions-in-avoidable-healthcare-costs/]

“In 2018, ACIP reiterated its recommendation of universal infant HBV vaccination within 24 hours of birth19 The universal birth dose recommendation has had a significant, positive impact on health The impact of this policy shift can be seen in both immunization rates and health outcomes. Between 1993 and 2000, HBV immunization rates among children aged 19 to 35 months rose from 16 percent to 90 percent; dramatic gains also were seen among children aged 13 to 15 years, rising from near zero to 67 percent as HBV immunization became a standard part of the CDC pediatric schedule.20 The health impact has been profound; scientific estimates show that since the 1991 recommendation took effect, the universal HBV birth dose has prevented over 500,000 childhood infections and prevented an estimated 90,100 childhood deaths.21 Furthermore, vaccination at birth, regardless of risk/perinatal exposure, protects infants from contracting hepatitis B later in life if they fail to achieve full vaccination status.22 Between 1991 and 2019, HBV infection among children and adolescents dropped 99%, preventing cases of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death.23 The evidence shows that now the annual rate of infection is extremely low: fewer than 1,000 US children and adolescents become infected, 24 and fewer than 20 infants are infected at birth.25 Between 2021 and 2022, the U.S. reported only 17 and 13 cases of perinatal hepatitis B, respectively.26” [APHA APHA and Public Health Deans and Scholars’ Comments on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Notice announcing the meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Docket ID: CDC-2025-0783-0001), 20 November 2025, https://hpmmatters.publichealth.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs6671/files/2025-11/CDC_ACIP%20Hep%20B%20Public%20Comment%20Letter_FILED%20112025.pdf]\

“Before the hepatitis B vaccine was recommended for all children in the United States, about 18,000 infants and children were infected with the virus each year. While half of these cases were traced to vertical transmission from infected mothers either during childbirth or shortly after, it was unclear when, how or where the remaining half got infected. Today’s decision by the CDC’s committee of vaccine advisers to do away with the universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendation marks a clear return to this era of unnecessary exposure of newborn children to a preventable deadly disease.” [Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, “9,000 Reasons for Routine Childhood Hepatitis B Vaccination”, 10 July 2025, https://www.chop.edu/parents-pack/parents-pack-newsletter/9000-reasons-routine-childhood-hepatitis-b-vaccination].

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